(GPGT)Espresso machine hoot

[chikyblink]

It may be nothing but what milk are you using?

Sent from Samsung SM-N910G using GAGT

 

[2ichigo2]

I am no pro and still learning.
Been reading this thread and been taking days trying to finish all the posts.

When I turn on the steam wand there is a white opaque blast of steam coming out, almost water droplet like. Is that normal or is the steam wand not hot enough yet?

I think that's normal for single boiler.
I will always purge everything until i really see steam only.
How i judge? By steaming an empty pitcher.
The initial run will have lots of water and the subsequently is like what u describe " white opaque steam".

I've also tried putting my jug in many angles and can't seem to find the right angle.

Steam cold water first.
Make sure you find the right angle before using milk.
Also make sure you turn on fully the steam wand.
I ever turn on half way and it cannot generate enough steam power.

The main problem is that I'm not able to incorporate enough air into the milk and even to find the right angle to get the "W" spot to swirl the milk after dipping the steam wand further into the pitcher. Sometimes I incorporate so little air in the stretching of the milk part that when I try to dip my steam wand further into the milk, I can't as I've already reached the bottom of the pitcher.

Don dip the steam wand down all the way. It will generate a loud noise. And incorporating air is by having the tip of the wand near the surface of the milk. Why would you tip the wand further down to reach the bottom of the pitcher to incorporate air? Texturing the milk the tip should be around an inch below the surface of the milk.

The sound that I'm hearing is a very loud hissing sound in the stretching part and my steam tip is just submerged into the pitcher at an angle with the wand slightly off centre as the chef steps video suggested.

Different machine different steam wand. I ever tried 4 holes and yes it will place slight off the center. For my home machine with 1 hole steam wand, i tilt my pitcher and place the wand close to the side.

However, the loud hissing sound is wrong right?

Loud as in "bloop bloop" sound? If it is generate large bubbles, then steam tip off the surface too high.

I've watched many videos on how to steam the milk and yet can't do it. I'm making my pitcher cold before adding the milk to make the milk colder to allow more time to add air and yet still almost no air is being added. The milk that is made is mostly just heated milk with a small layer of bubbles on top if I'm lucky.

What could be the problem
Getting pretty frustrated now...

I think you should try with water plus a drop of soap detergent. Practice with that to find the right angle to swirl and incorporating air.

 

[prozaizxc]

It may be nothing but what milk are you using?

Sent from Samsung SM-N910G using GAGT

Im using greenfield's 100% pasturized and homogenised milk.
I think its a problem on my side because the sound that is coming out is a very very loud hissing noise which i don't think is normal...

 

[zzzzzzz.]

hey ts you got use wmf cup ?

 

[prozaizxc]

I am no pro and still learning.
Been reading this thread and been taking days trying to finish all the posts.


I think that's normal for single boiler.
I will always purge everything until i really see steam only.
How i judge? By steaming an empty pitcher.
The initial run will have lots of water and the subsequently is like what u describe " white opaque steam".


Steam cold water first.
Make sure you find the right angle before using milk.
Also make sure you turn on fully the steam wand.
I ever turn on half way and it cannot generate enough steam power.


Don dip the steam wand down all the way. It will generate a loud noise. And incorporating air is by having the tip of the wand near the surface of the milk. Why would you tip the wand further down to reach the bottom of the pitcher to incorporate air? Texturing the milk the tip should be around an inch below the surface of the milk.


Different machine different steam wand. I ever tried 4 holes and yes it will place slight off the center. For my home machine with 1 hole steam wand, i tilt my pitcher and place the wand close to the side.


Loud as in "bloop bloop" sound? If it is generate large bubbles, then steam tip off the surface too high.


I think you should try with water plus a drop of soap detergent. Practice with that to find the right angle to swirl and incorporating air.

What do you mean by "really see steam only"?
So it should be that u can see nothing coming out from the steam wand or the "white opaque steam"?

Sorry i meant i was dipping the steam wand deeper to texture the milk not incorporate air.
Ive tried steaming with cold water to try to minimize waste.

Do you tilt your pitcher? Or is it parallel to the table?
I tend to tilt it parallel to the steam wand. Is that right?

The sound isn't bloop bloop but a very very loud hissing noise.

 

[2ichigo2]

What do you mean by "really see steam only"?
So it should be that u can see nothing coming out from the steam wand or the "white opaque steam"?

Sorry i meant i was dipping the steam wand deeper to texture the milk not incorporate air.
Ive tried steaming with cold water to try to minimize waste.

Do you tilt your pitcher? Or is it parallel to the table?
I tend to tilt it parallel to the steam wand. Is that right?

The sound isn't bloop bloop but a very very loud hissing noise.

You should see white opaque steam. The initial purging with water will generate a different sound. The sound of the steam coming out from the wand is like pushing the water out. It will sound different once the "airway" is clear of water.

I tilt my pitcher not parallel to the table and steam wand.
Not sure how to describe...

Hmm i think u need to post youtube video on your hissing noise.

 

[erwinseow]

Help me guys... I can't for the life of my froth milk properly with my rancilio silvia. I just tried frothing milk 4 times in a row just now and didn't even succeed once and threw away 3 lousy milk and drank one of the lousily frothed milk with my espresso lol.

Ive frothed milk at least about 30 times in total now and didn't once manage to get micro foam.

When I turn on the steam wand there is a white opaque blast of steam coming out, almost water droplet like. Is that normal or is the steam wand not hot enough yet?
Should the steam coming out from the machine be like transparent and cannot be seen? Because sometimes when I "purge" or leave on the steam wand for a while the white opaque steam becomes like "transparent" that is to say that there isn't any water droplets coming out and mostly steam i think.

I've also tried putting my jug in many angles and can't seem to find the right angle. The main problem is that I'm not able to incorporate enough air into the milk and even to find the right angle to get the "W" spot to swirl the milk after dipping the steam wand further into the pitcher. Sometimes I incorporate so little air in the stretching of the milk part that when I try to dip my steam wand further into the milk, I can't as I've already reached the bottom of the pitcher.

The sound that I'm hearing is a very loud hissing sound in the stretching part and my steam tip is just submerged into the pitcher at an angle with the wand slightly off centre as the chef steps video suggested. However, the loud hissing sound is wrong right?

I've watched many videos on how to steam the milk and yet can't do it. I'm making my pitcher cold before adding the milk to make the milk colder to allow more time to add air and yet still almost no air is being added. The milk that is made is mostly just heated milk with a small layer of bubbles on top if I'm lucky.

What could be the problem
Getting pretty frustrated now...

Some tips that may help you...

1. Use water and a few drops of dish washer liquid first. Save your milk.

2. After you steam once.... You need to cycle again. I dun think there is enough steam to do a 2nd time. Off the steam button and press the hot water button and turn on the valve to flush the steam out and refill the boiler with water. Then press the steam button again.

3. Use a 400-500ml pitcher.

 

[Lastwishes]

if its a sharp whistling sound, it usually means that its starved for air, in other words, you submerged the wand too deeply too early.

For texturing the milk, try submerging only a third to half of the steam tip (note: not half the steam wand; usually less than 1 cm of the tip) into the milk, then start steaming.

After 1-3 seconds (depending on machine), you can submerge it further (about 2 cm or so) , after which is the 'whirlpool' part of the process. How long you do this for will affect how much foam you get (anything from art-worthy foam to cappucino foam if you do this too long). I usually judge by volume - when the milk swells to about slightly less than twice its original volume,

dip it further towards the bottom to lessen the 'swirl', until the milk reaches the right temperature. For this part, there is minimal stretching of the milk. Just heating.

 

[Lazy_Tiger]

Im using greenfield's 100% pasturized and homogenised milk.
I think its a problem on my side because the sound that is coming out is a very very loud hissing noise which i don't think is normal...

u can get a very loud metallic noise too if your steam wand hole is pressed right against the wall of your pitcher. this kills the power of the steam to create movement in the latte.

can post a video? show one just with the steam wand on full blast without steaming anything and show one with how you steam the milk.

if you are getting problem with increasing the volume then it seems that primarily you are not able to introduce enough air into the milk. this can be either due to lack of steam power (boiler not hot enough, steam hole pressed against wall of pitcher) or steam tip is way too low inside the milk during the stretching phase

Usually most people do not have problems in the stretching phase but in the texturing phase. do you have problems creating big bubbles? I suggest just try practising creating volume but lowering the jug until you are able to create a huge volume of foam just for practice. then slowly adjust and raise the pitcher until you find a sweet spot.

 

[Rprime]

anybody had experience with Quest M3 roaster before? would one prefer it over gene cafe roaster which costs half as much?

also, any experience on Everpure BH2 or OCS cartridges?

 

[erwinseow]

Hi prozaizxc,

I think your steam wand may be too deep in the milk during the initial part. Try to position it slightly higher. Taking the Nozzle ridge (The part where the nozzle screws into the steam wand)as a reference.. It has to be above the surface of the milk...

Hope it helps

Erwin

 

[prozaizxc]

Some tips that may help you...

1. Use water and a few drops of dish washer liquid first. Save your milk.

2. After you steam once.... You need to cycle again. I dun think there is enough steam to do a 2nd time. Off the steam button and press the hot water button and turn on the valve to flush the steam out and refill the boiler with water. Then press the steam button again.

3. Use a 400-500ml pitcher.

Yup I've tried that before but even using 1 drop of strong dishwashing liquid to 6 oz of cold water in my pitcher i didn't manage to get much foam...

I usually wait for about 1-2 minutes before trying to froth again. I didn't refill the boiler. Thanks for the tip, ill try it from now on!

if its a sharp whistling sound, it usually means that its starved for air, in other words, you submerged the wand too deeply too early.

For texturing the milk, try submerging only a third to half of the steam tip (note: not half the steam wand; usually less than 1 cm of the tip) into the milk, then start steaming.

After 1-3 seconds (depending on machine), you can submerge it further (about 2 cm or so) , after which is the 'whirlpool' part of the process. How long you do this for will affect how much foam you get (anything from art-worthy foam to cappucino foam if you do this too long). I usually judge by volume - when the milk swells to about slightly less than twice its original volume,

dip it further towards the bottom to lessen the 'swirl', until the milk reaches the right temperature. For this part, there is minimal stretching of the milk. Just heating.

I just tried that - submerging less of the steam tip although I didn't get much foam. Maybe because i used low fat milk this morning as i bought the wrong milk... however, i still get the super loud noise. Ill try to post it to youtube and post a link here. Have never uploaded anything to youtube before haha. Thanks for the tip!! Btw, how do you angle your pitcher compared to the steam wand??

u can get a very loud metallic noise too if your steam wand hole is pressed right against the wall of your pitcher. this kills the power of the steam to create movement in the latte.

can post a video? show one just with the steam wand on full blast without steaming anything and show one with how you steam the milk.

if you are getting problem with increasing the volume then it seems that primarily you are not able to introduce enough air into the milk. this can be either due to lack of steam power (boiler not hot enough, steam hole pressed against wall of pitcher) or steam tip is way too low inside the milk during the stretching phase

Usually most people do not have problems in the stretching phase but in the texturing phase. do you have problems creating big bubbles? I suggest just try practising creating volume but lowering the jug until you are able to create a huge volume of foam just for practice. then slowly adjust and raise the pitcher until you find a sweet spot.

Its not a metallic sound, its a loud hissing sound. Ill try to post a video up soon. My steam wand hole isn't pressed against the wall of the pitcher. Its kinda centre-right side.

I've actually been flushing out my steam wand until theres no more "White opaque steam" but a transparent stream of air haha i think thats why I've not been getting much foam?

Hi prozaizxc,

I think your steam wand may be too deep in the milk during the initial part. Try to position it slightly higher. Taking the Nozzle ridge (The part where the nozzle screws into the steam wand)as a reference.. It has to be above the surface of the milk...

Hope it helps

Erwin

Yup, ill try to put it higher the next time i froth thanks for the tip Erwin!! Ive always been submerging the entire nozzle ridge into the milk so far...

 

[Lastwishes]

try starting off the steam with about 2-3 mm of the wand tip in the milk. That should get rid of the sharp hissing.

I usually have the wand about 1 inch deep for the texturing part. Wand is at the side of the pitcher usually.

 

[prozaizxc]

Thanks guys for all your input!! Especially 2ichigo2 for his help and kinda tutoring my how to froth through whatsapp haha!
I now am able to make decent foam and i realised the problem is that my steam tip was too low and the noise is a metallic noise from the steam hitting the pitcher walls.

Thanks again for all your inputs! Now frothing milk is fun and not such a frustration anymore!!

 

[Lazy_Tiger]

Thanks guys for all your input!! Especially 2ichigo2 for his help and kinda tutoring my how to froth through whatsapp haha!
I now am able to make decent foam and i realised the problem is that my steam tip was too low and the noise is a metallic noise from the steam hitting the pitcher walls.

Thanks again for all your inputs! Now frothing milk is fun and not such a frustration anymore!!

Enjoy! The silvia is one of the better home machines out there!

Here is another interesting product. Alma coffee roasters is carrying it.

Grinder, and filter drip combined into one unit.

 

[CTBR]

Enjoy! The silvia is one of the better home machines out there!

Here is another interesting product. Alma coffee roasters is carrying it.

Grinder, and filter drip combined into one unit.

Somebody has it on HB #22

 

[chikyblink]

So many greens, so little time.

So I'm a having blast with my Behmor. Although the workmanship isn't so great(could be due to shipping), the door doesn't open/close properly due to a slightly bent metal hinge/support, and the drum doesn't rotate when I first started it(due to another slightly bent metal part that the drum rests on, which just needed a quick fix and works properly now). But all that small niggles doesn't bother me a bit, because the roasts turn out great. And thats what I cared about most.

There's not a lot of manual controls on this thing but I feel they're adequate and functional. Basically you can adjust the power/heating to 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, 100% and the drum rotation speed to either fast or slow.

Or you can just select any of the 5 pre-programmed profiles and just let it do its thing. You can switch back and forth between auto and manual mode any time during the roast. So far I've been using just the pre-programmed profiles and learning what this roaster is capable of before messing with the manual controls.

Cooling is the weakest link for this roaster. The moment cooling activates, the heating element switches off, the afterburner and the exhaust fans kicked in and a timer of 13mins starts. I find that after the cooling cycle ends, my beans are still warm to the touch! I found to rectify this, during the cooling cycle I'll open the door slightly to let cool air in. But open any bigger and you'll risk chaff flying out. As with any kind of roasting method, a vacuum is a must.

I've been fortunate to chance upon a group of local home roasters while randomly browsing instagram. They're kind enough to invite me to join their chatgroup, which they'll share their experiences on home roasting, including greens and their roasts. Unfortunately, nobody in the group uses a Behmor except me. I know a few of them uses the M3 and one of them a Huky500. I've met with one of the guy(presumably the 'leader'), and he's got like tons of different greens at his house. The little packs of greens you see on the photo above are those he gave me( I think they all adds up close to 1kg). To think I've only brought 100gm of my own greens to share with him.
Oh if any of you is interested on the M3, get it direct from TW. Its only $1.5k+.

 

[Lazy_Tiger]

Cooling is the weakest link for this roaster. The moment cooling activates, the heating element switches off, the afterburner and the exhaust fans kicked in and a timer of 13mins starts. I find that after the cooling cycle ends, my beans are still warm to the touch! I found to rectify this, during the cooling cycle I'll open the door slightly to let cool air in. But open any bigger and you'll risk chaff flying out. As with any kind of roasting method, a vacuum is a must.

Nice! How's your home roasted coffee compared to the commercial offerings? Is it as good?
Where do you get your greens from?

Yes so much to do so little time....I guess i'll put off home roasting for a while first until can find the energy to do it!

 

[chikyblink]

Nice! How's your home roasted coffee compared to the commercial offerings? Is it as good?
Where do you get your greens from?

Yes so much to do so little time....I guess i'll put off home roasting for a while first until can find the energy to do it!

I think the quality of the greens play a bigger part than the roasting here. But I've been enjoying my roasts so far, especially the mandheling, I love this bean.
I've been getting my greens from blendnew.com. But I've been told the quality isn't too great and too expensive. Apparently

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[chikyblink]

*continue from previous post*
Apparently he can get his hands on very good quality greens, direct from the farms, but one bag is 69kg. And costs about $1k. So 1kg is probably about $15 only.

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